What role does sulfur play in our health? “Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in the human body, affecting everything from detoxification to joint health,” Virginia-based registered dietitian Kaytee Hadley told Well + Good. “Many sulfur compounds also support conditions such as diabetes, cancer, congestive heart failure, and arthritis.”
The way we get sulfur into the body is through the foods we eat. Such foods include eggs, meat, fish, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dairy, cauliflower, and more, explains My Crohns and Colitis Team. This also includes foods containing sulfite preservatives, such as sulfur dioxide. If your diet is predominantly made up of these sulfur-rich food items, it’s a recipe for rotten egg-smelling poops.
Sometimes, however, certain infections may be to blame. One symptom of giardiasis, for example, is sulfur-scented bowel movements (via Medical News Today). Also referred to as beaver fever, giardiasis is caused by an intestinal parasite infection.